Large Language Model, the thing people mean today most often when they say AI. AI is a word used for many things, as it exists since the 60s to describe many algorithms.

Really? Data centers? Not heavy industry? Say, textiles, metal processing, petrochemicals, and what do they do to their surroundings, or the impact of free-ranging cattle raising? 

IIRC, you are an artist. If I wanted to be really pedantic about it, I could point out that AI-generated images would demand less energy and water than your computer would use over the hours it took you to create a piece of art, even amortizing the training run costs. If you work with physical tools, the impact would be much worse. Are you sure that environmental impact is what you want to argue? 

I honestly think you should try to step back and argue your position in a more rational, measured fashion. You've already shown in this thread that you're willing to believe in sketchy non-peer-reviewed studies if they support your view. This is doing no one any favors.

That's just pro-AI propaganda.

Now what?

Creating digital art wastes more energy and water than AI generated content? Now you're being ridiculous AND devaluing human made content.

I’m all for replacing the entirety of Ubisoft with AI.

If you think that then can you point out a specific part of it that you think is wrong?

That it's downplaying the negative impacts of data centers. Sounds like what you'd write if you were pro-AI or paid by AI companies to write the article.

You know, things have nuances. What you're saying is exactly what someone with an agenda would say, unwilling to see nuances or anything other than black and white.

Just some data to put things in perspective:

https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai/energy-demand-from-ai

Despite the strong increase, data centre electricity demand growth accounts for less than 10% of global electricity demand growth between 2024 and 2030 in the Base Case. Other key drivers, such as industry output growth and electrification, the deployment of electric vehicles, and the adoption of air conditioning, lead the way. However, while the absolute growth may appear smaller, data centres, unlike electric vehicles, tend to concentrate in specific locations, making their integration into the grid potentially more challenging.

Or in other words, data centers are not only contributing to global warming but also competing with greener forms of transportation while indirectly driving up the demand for air conditioning.


Electricity demand is just one part

https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/land-lines-magazine/articles/land-water-impacts-data-centers/

AI data centers consume massive amounts of freshwater for cooling, with estimated usage of roughly a bottle to a few spoonfuls per 10-50 queries. Large facilities can consume 5 million gallons daily, and U.S. data center water usage is expected to reach 68 billion gallons by 2028, a 300% increase in five years, posing risks to local water supplies.

And yes I realize the irony of using an AI generated synopsis, contributing to the problem.


Killing the planet some more:

Google Search AI (AI Overviews) significantly increases environmental impact compared to traditional searches, with AI queries estimated to consume roughly 10x more energy and water due to intensive server processing and cooling needs. While a single AI query is low-impact (roughly Wh, or 5 drops of water), its widespread adoption contributes heavily to rising data center carbon emissions, causing Google's total greenhouse gas emissions to rise by nearly 50% since 2019

https://www.npr.org/2024/07/12/g-s1-9545/ai-brings-soaring-emissions-for-google-and-microsoft-a-major-contributor-to-climate-change


There are some supposedly eco friendly search engines like Ecosia, however you're really just using Bing while add revenues are used to offset carbon by planting trees. Which tbh is mostly a scam.

But instead of using google directly you can use https://www.searchfortrees.com/ and 60% of add revenue will go to scamming trees, err planting trees. They're at 661 trees already... Virtue signalling at best :/


Anyway just browsing your phone keeps AI busy feeding and analyzing you every second you are online.
Play offline games if you want to do better for the planet ;)

(And in VR, uses less energy than a TV :p)

How is it downplaying that? What's been going on lately is the environmental impact of them has been ridiculously overblown. Stuff like the water thing and now this heat thing are basically fake issues. In general compared to something like the meat industry any negative environmental impact is tiny so the focus data centers are getting is very disproportionate.

No it's not, and the meat industry at least provides food for people, whereas the AI industry is stealing from artists, wasting water and helping bomb Iranian civilians.